Heel rest for an accelerator



Dec. 8, 1959 M. E. KENT HEEL REST FOR AN ACCELERATOR Filed May 9. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Mauriceflffenz' 8, 1959 M. E. KENT 2,915,917

HEEL REST FOR AN ACCELERATOR Filed May 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Maur ic e EKeni' )1 K E ATTORNEY United rates Patent 2,915,917 HEEL REST FOR AN ACCELERATOR Maurice E. Kent, New London, Conn. Application May 9, 1958, Serial No. 734,285 Claims. (Cl. 74564) This invention relates to a novel heel rest and foot support for use with the accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle and which is so constructed that it will materially increase the comfort of the vehicle operator and also enable the operator to more accurately and quickly control the throttle pedal to thereby promote safety.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a device which will support the right foot of the vehicle driver properly positioned so that the forward portion of the shoe sole can engage the throttle pedal, near the upper end of said pedal, and so that the foot while operating the throttle pedal will fulcrum about the instep, rather than at the back end of the heel, to afford maximum control of the throttle pedal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heel rest in which a shoe heel issupported for supporting the foot while in engagement with the throttle pedal, so that no effort is required on the part of the operator to maintain the foot positioned against the throttle pedal, to thus minimize the effort required in controlling the throttle, so that driving for long periods of time can be accomplished with ease and relaxation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a heel rest which. will enable pressure on the throttle pedal to be released more rapidly than where the heel fulcrums on the floorboard, and which will provide a solid and stable support for the heel when the foot is swung quickly to aposition to release the throttle.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a heel rest including means for yieldably supporting the heel and for urging the heel to swing in a direction for rocking the foot to cause the forward position of the foot to be swung toward the upper part of the accelerator pedal, so that a minimum amount of effort is required in depressing the accelerator pedal or in maintaining a desired pressure on the accelerator pedal.

Various other objects and advantagesof the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the heel rest in an applied position, taken substantially along the line 11 of Figure 2; 4

Figure 2 is a perspective view thereof as viewed from above;

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the heel rest, taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Figures 2 or 4;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figures 2 or 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing the heel plate detached and with an adapter applied thereto;

Figure 6 is a sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6, on an-enlarged throttle pedal ice scale, showing another adapter applied to the heel plate, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the heel rest and foot support in its entirety is designated generally it? and includes an anchor plate 11 which is secured by fastenings 12 to the upper side of a horizontal portion of a motor vehicle floorboard 13. A plate 14 is pivotally and detachably connected to one end of the anchor plate 11. As seen in Figure 2, adjacent ends of the plates 11 and 14 have interfitting hinge barrels 15 engaged by a removable hinge pin 16 for mounting the plate 14 for swinging movement vertically relative to the plate 11. The parts 11, 14, 15 and 16 can constitute a hinge. The plate 14, in an extended position resting on the floorboard 13, as illustrated in the drawings, is disposed between the plate 11 and a motor vehicle accelerator pedal 17, which is hingedly mounted at its lower end as seen at 18, in a conventional manner.

A foot supporting frame, designated generally 19, includes a plate portion 20 which is disposed on and secured to the upper side of the plate 14 by fastenings 21. The frame 19 has a front wall 22 which extends upwardly from an end of the plate 20, adjacent the free end of the pivoted plate 14. The front wall 22 is inclined so as to be disposed nearly parallel to the accelerator pedal 17 when said pedal is in a released or retracted position, as illustrated in the drawings. The frame 19 includes an inner side wall 23 and an outer side wall 24, which side walls extend rearwardly from the side edges of the front wall 22 and are disposed at an incline, substantially corresponding to the incline of the side edges of the front wall, as seen in Figure 3. The incline of the side walls 23 and 24 will vary depending upon the plane of the 17 in its retracted position. The outer side wall 24, as seen in Figure 3, is disposed close to the side of the floorboard hump or tunnel 25, adjacent which the throttle pedal 17 is located, which is conventional in most present day motor vehicles, and said side wall 24 is curved inwardly at its lower end. The side walls 23 and 24 have rounded upper ends in each of which is formed a series of outwardly opening notches 26.

A heel plate or heel rest 27 includes a substantially flat bottom 28 and an upstanding wall 29 which extendsalong the sides and across the rounded rear end of the plate 28, as best seen in Figure 5 and which has corresponding apertured ends 39 which are disposed adjacent a front edge 31 of the bottom 28. The heel rest is disposed between the side walls 23 and 24 and is swingably connected thereto by fastenings 32 which engage the wall ends 30 and the side walls 23 and 24, located adjacent thereto. The heel rest 27 extends downwardly and rearwardly relative to the frame'19 from its pivots 32 and the wall 29 thereof projects from the bottom'28 in a direction away from the front wall 22. A weak spiral spring 33 is disposed between the front wall 22 and the heel rest bottom 28 and has one end secured to said front wall and the other end bearing against the underside of the bottom 28, as best seen in Figure 4, for urging the heel rest 27 to swing upwardly and away from the front wall 22, and for normally supporting said heel rest in its position of Figure 4.

A rod 34 extends across the frame 19 and has portions engaging in corresponding notches 26 of the walls 23 and 24. Tension springs 35 are disposed on the outer sides of the walls 23 and 24 and have lower ends anchored to studs 35' which project outwardly from said walls, and upper ends which are secured to end portions of the rod 34. A sleeve 36 is rotatably mounted on the rod 34 between the walls 23 -andz24.

.more nearly parallel to the pedal 17.

V The heel rest as disclosed in Figures 2 and 4 is of a proper s1ze to receive the heel of a mans shoe and when the heel rest and foot support is thus utilized, the rod 34'is positioned in engagement with the next to the forwardmost notches 26, as seen in Figures 1 to 4, so that the sleeve 36 is disposed above the plane of the heel rest :bottom 28. With the heel, not shown, engaging in the rest 27 a part of the instep of the shoe will bear upon the sleeve '36 and a forward part of the sole of the shoe will rest upon an upper portion of the pedal 17. The weight of the heel on the rest 27 will cause said rest to swing on its pivots 32 downwardly to partially compress the spring 33, so that the shoe sole and heel will be disposed more nearly parallel to the plane of the pedal 17, in the retracted position of the pedal, as illustrated, and the heel rest bottom 28 will likewise be disposed It will thus be seen that the foot which operates the accelerator pedal 17 will be supported by the heel rest and foot support 10 properly positioned to engage and exert pressure against the upper portion of the pedal 17 and so that no elfort is required to maintainthe foot thus positioned in contact with the pedal. In exerting a pressure to depress the pedal, the shoe and foot fulcrum about the sleeve 36 with the spring 33 tending to elevate the heel so that less effort is required to exert pressure with the forward portion of the foot on the pedal 17. This fulcruming of the foot about the instep, rather than about the bottom end of the heel resting on the floorboard, as 1s conventional, materially reduces the effort required to apply pressure to the pedal 17, even without the cooperation of the spring 33, and since the support 10 holds the shoe and foot against sliding movement laterally away from the pedal 17, it will be readily apparent that a minimum of effort isrequired in operating the throttle pedal when the heel rest and foot support 10 is employed.

r The heel rest and foot support 10 is primarily adapted for use with motor vehicles having automatic transmissions and where no clutch is provided and the left foot is employed to operate the brake pedal, so that the right foot does not have to be removed from the throttle pedal.

Thus, with the foot resting in the support 10, the right 1 leg and foot will not become tired even when the operator drives for long sustained periods of time.

Should a sudden stop be required, a downward pressure on the heel will cause the toe to swing quickly out of contact with the pedal 17'and the heel rest 27 to swing downwardly and forwardly to fully compressthe spring 33 for providing a solid support for the heel to brace the driver while pressure is being applied with the left foot on the brake.

The two forwardmost notches 26 are engaged by the rod 34 when the shoe-which engages the support 10 does not have a heel extending below the shoe instep. When necessary or desirable the heel rest and foot support 10 can be swung about the pivot 16 to a position over the base plate 11, and which constitutes an inoperative position of the unit, 'or by removing the hinge pin 16, all of the parts except the base plate 1'1 can be completely removed. a e

' Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a removable adapter '37 of a proper size and shape to fit in the rear end of the heel rest 27 and which has a pin 38 projecting from an outer 7 rear edge thereof through an opening 39 in the rear portion of the wall 29. The adapter 37 is utilized when the heel rest and support 10 is used by a lady forposifront edge 31 of the heel rest. When the adapter 37 is employed, the rod '34 'is withdrawn from the'second notches 26'and moved rearwardly to engage in'either'the third, fourth or fifth notch from the front wall 22, so as'to properly position'the sleeve 36 for engagement with the? instep and the inner side of'the shoe heel. It will be understood that Figures 5 and 6 illustrate only one 4 of several such adapters 37, which will diifer from one another only as to their thickness, between their inner and outer arcuate walls.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate another adapter for the heel rest 27 and which is especially adapted for use where the driver is a lady wearing high heel shoes. The adapter of Figures 8 and 9 includes a rigid wall 40 of considerable height having a bottom edge resting on the upper side of the heel rest bottom 28 and which is provided with angular extensions 41 at the ends of said bottom edge. The extensions 41 are shown engaging a rear pair of transversely spaced slots 42, formed in the heel rest bottom 28, or said extensions 41 could engage other forward slots 43 for adjustably positioning the adapter 40 on the heel rest 27, nearer the front edge 31 of said heel rest. The high heel adapter 40 is arcuately bowed in cross section, as seen in Figure 9, and has a concave forward side in which the high heel of a ladys shoe, not shown, is adapted to rest. When the high heel adapter 40 is used the rod 34 will engage one of the three rearmost notches 26 of each wall 23 and 24, for properly positioning the sleeve 36 under the instep of the shoe and adjacent the upper part of the inner side of the heel. The support and heel rest 10 is especially adapted for use by ladies since it positions the toe of the right foot sufficiently near the upper end of the foot pedal 17 so that the pedal can be depressed without undue effort, as is often necessary where, with the heel resting on the fioorboard, the toe bears on the pedal 17 well below its upper end, so that considerably more pressure is required to depress the throttle.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A heel rest and foot support for use with a motor I vehicle accelerator pedal comprising a base member adapted to be supported on and secured to a vehicle floorboard, a front wall secured to and extending upwardly from the base member, transversely spaced side walls secured to and extending upwardly from the base member, said front wall being adapted to be disposed adjacent a forward side of an accelerator pedal, a heel rest, means pivotally connecting an end of said heel rest .to said side walls, said front wall being disposed between the axis of the pivot means and the accelerator pedal, said heel rest extending downwardly from the pivot means thereof toward the base member and being swingable toward and away from the front wall, and a fulcrum member supported by said side walls above said pivot means and above an upper end of said front wall and adapted to be engaged by the instep of a shoe when the shoe heel is disposed in the heel rest and about which the shoe is adapted to fulcrum, said heel rest being swingable on the pivot thereof independent of the fulcrum member.

2. A heel rest and foot support as in claim 1, and spring means disposed between and bearing against .said front wall and the heel rest for yieldably urging the heel rest to swing upwardly and away from the front wall.

- 3. A heel rest and foot support as in claim 1, said heel rest including an elongated bottom and an upstanding the heel rest pivot. V

4.A heel rest and foot support as in claim 1, sad

1 front wall "being disposed at an incline relative to the tioning the front edge of the ladys shoe heel nearer the a base member and substantially parallel to the accelerator pedal. 7 a

5. A heel rest and foot support as in claim 1, and means for'adjustably mounting said fulcrum member on the ,side walls for adjustably positioning the fulcrum.mem-

vber relative to said heel rest.

6. A heel rest andfoot support as in claim 5, said fulcrum member comprising a rod, said means for adjustably positioning the fulcrum member comprising outwardly opening notches formed in the upper ends of said side walls and selectively engaged by the rod, and pull springs connected to the ends of said rod and anchored to said side walls for releasably retaining the rod in engagement with selected ones of said notches of the side walls.

7. A heel rest and foot support as in claim 6, and a sleeve, forming a part of Said fulcrum member, rotatably mounted on said rod between said side walls.

8. A heel rest and foot support as in claim 1, said base 10 member including a part secured to the floorboard and a second part to which the front wall and side Walls are connected, and means pivotally and detachably connecting said parts of the base member to one another for swingably and detachably mounting the heel rest and foot support.

9. A heel rest and foot support as in claim 1, an adapter, and means detachably mounting the adapter in the free end of the heel rest, said adapter having a wall facing the pivoted end of the heel rest and adapted to be engaged by the heel of a ladys shoe for positioning the shoe heel nearer said fulcrum member.

10. A heel rest and foot support as in claim 9, said means for detachably mounting the adapter in the heel rest including means for adjustably positioning said adapter wall relative to the pivoted end of the heel rest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UN TED STATES PATENTS 984,571 La Croix Feb. 21, 1911 1,309,347 Williams July 8, 1919 1,384,251 Gellman July 12, 1921 1,630,760 Powell May 31, 1927 1,698,140 Maud Jan. 8, 1929 1,893,075 Fisher Jan. 3, 1933 2,464,327 Mack Mar. 15, 1949 2,553,080 Ching May 15, 1951 2,567,529 Schetzer Sept. 11, 1951 

